Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the merits of reintroducing citizenship by birthright.

The British Nationality Act 1981 came into effect on 1 January 1983. The primary aim of that Act was to restrict citizenship to those with a close and continuing connection with the UK. Since 1983 a child born in the UK will only be a British citizen if either parent is a British citizen or settled in the UK. Those born in the UK who do not acquire citizenship automatically at birth are able to apply for registration as a British citizen, if their parent becomes British or settled, or following residence in the UK for the first 10 years of their life.

There are no plans to change the law in this respect.